Abdullah Md Zin

Abdullah was born on 2 August 1946 in Alor Selinsing, Jerteh, Besut, Terengganu. He studied at the Islamic University of Madinah, graduating in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies.^[1]

In 1973, he obtained a master's degree in Syariah from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, before receiving a Diploma in Education from Ain Shams University. He was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy from Kent University, England, in 1986.

Abdullah became a lecturer in 1976, firstly at Kolej Islam Klang and then at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). In 1998, he was appointed the dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and in 1999 he became a professor. In 2000, he was appointed Deputy Rector (Academic and Research) at Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia (KUIM) in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.

Abdullah resigned from his lecturing position KUIM (but took early optional compulsory retirement from civil service at 58) in order to be the Barisan Nasional candidate for the federal parliamentary seat of Besut, Terengganu in the 2004 election. The seat had been held by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Abdullah won the seat, defeating PAS's Nasharudin Mat Isa.

Later, Abdullah became a member of UMNO's Supreme Council and a Minister in the Department of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. After the 2008 election, he was dropped from the cabinet^[2] and in the 2009 UMNO party elections, he failed to retain a position on the party's Supreme Council.^[3]

When Najib Tun Razak became Prime Minister in 2009, Abdullah became his Islamic religious affairs adviser.^[4] However, Abdullah did not recontest his parliamentary seat in the 2013 election, although he remained as Najib's religious adviser.